Physicist, candidate of sciences, teacher of Physics at “Aregnazan” educational complex, photographer Suren Manvelyan was 26 when back in 2002, together with his scientific team, received President Prize Award in the category of Physics, for the series of articles published within a research on quantum technologies.
“On the award ceremony journalists puled our team to one side, pushed the microphones against us inquiring what we were planning to spend the monetary prize on. Today, I would love to answer this question. Let me first note that back then the monetary award was 5 thousand USD, not 10 thousand as it is today. As a group of scientists, we fairly shared the amount among us, and I received 400 USD. And I got married, I used the money on my wedding… well it was quite enough”.
Suren Manvelyan’s 16-year-old son Tigran goes to school and “he manages to help me in wedding photoshoots… And yes, I do also photoshoot weddings in the same “meticulous manner”, I never take things for granted, on principle; let us take Physics, I have been into Physics, purely unselfishly”.
Manvelyan ceased his scientific practice in 2011, “when I was asked to slowly quit my job, as there were workforce optimizations ahead. By the way my salary was 29 thousand AMD then, and this was the highest salary, frankly speaking, since prior to that for many years my monthly salary as teacher (meanwhile candidate of sciences) had comprised 13 thousand AMD. This is not only a matter of money, but the science is falling apart, it had started to collapse still in post-Soviet period, and ever since then nothing has changed. It was recently announced about developing sciences, I wonder how? There is nobody left now, even if you have money, there is still lack of individuals. You know it is much more difficult to restore human resources, even if you have money”.
The series of articles that the team of Physicists was awarded with President Prize years ago, was published in a prestigious scientific journal, Physical Review Letters for instance.
As far as I know it was the first time the journal had published scientists from Armenia, and there was no “leading” foreign scientist among the authors, whose names are normally attached as “reservation” to the list, to be on the safe side.
Today Armenians get to publish a lot in these journals, i.e. Armen Alahverdyan from the Institute of Physics, keeps on constantly publishing articles there. He is a genius Physicist, by the way, he is also a President Prize Awardee.
What concerns the application of quantum technologies, that has been researched under the supervision of laser Physicist Gagik Kryukchyan, is eventually the creation of quantum computer.
“Thousands of scientists worldwide are engaged in this. To make things clear, today there are transistor computers. One square centimeter can bear 100 billion of transistors, but they cannot contain too much information – 0 and 1 digits, as compared to quantum computers, which on 1 square centimeter can carry 0 and 1 digits, that are comprised of 23 0’s. You see, this will lead to power growth. The creator of the first quantum computer can crash all the systems, be it banks’ systems, those of “CIA” and “KGB”… Now Google has created something similar to this, but it is way too weak”.
Manvelyan’s photography has been quite popular, the loudest one being the human eyes he had shot, capturing all its “imperfections”. He says he misses the “dreadful tension of mind” and “dreadful activity” which professional Physics requires, although one also needs intelligence in photography, not only eyes. He has positive response to the doubts that his knowledge in Physics plays a great role in his secret of advanced technique of photography.
“Naturally, the camera matrix works on photo effects, which is quantum effect. Indeed, I love to divide material, make the beauty of details “emerge”, but this does not mean I do not like general plans. I will dive into a micro world, which cannot be seen through a naked eye, in the meanwhile, I will shoot a landscape which is visible enough”.
Suren Manvelyan has also managed to work as a “TV tutor” for a certain period. He has worked on a comprehensive series of TV shows on Physics, known as “Archimedia”. As Manvelyan points out he has had fantastic Math and Physics teachers at school. But it is only after he started attending space science classes in Pioneer Palace that he made up his mind to become a Physicist.
“The Palace was located near Garegin Nzhdeh Square, and the class was directed by Avetik Grigoryan, now I guess it is known as “Quantum”. This man has ever since then silently, selflessly and unselfishly delivered this class every Sunday, without any fees. The kids prepare missiles, as well as learn astronomy here. This group comprised of people like me, we all moved in the same direction, many of them have become Physicists or scientists in programming, one has even made their way to NASA”.
He would love to receive one more President Prize, this time in the category of Arts, photography, in particular. However, there is a strict policy, one and the same person can be granted with a prize once in a lifetime.
Ruzan Khachatryan
The President Prize to the Republic of Armenia is initiated and funded by the Boghossian Foundation (Belgium-Switzerland). The Award Ceremony is organized by “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund. The prizes are conferred by the RA President and the representatives of the Boghossian Foundation annually in May.
